


End of The Bar

by TheRookBook



Category: The Rookie (TV 2018)
Genre: AU- Bartender Tim, Heart broke Lucy, Tim didn’t break her heart, Too Much Smiling, he’s going to try and fix it though
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-17
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:21:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27597448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRookBook/pseuds/TheRookBook
Summary: He noticed her as soon as she walked in. Her eyes told him everything he needed to know. Broken hearts are never fun. He's been there before. Sitting at the end of the bar, that's where the lonely people sat after all.
Relationships: Tim Bradford & Lucy Chen, Tim Bradford/Lucy Chen
Comments: 40
Kudos: 106





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Ayo! I've had this idea brewing for a little while now. Never had a way to start it until last night.  
> Thanks for all the support! Comments and kudos are appreciated!! 
> 
> Inspired by the song Lonely One by Luke Combs (don't own that either). I suggest you give it a listen before reading (or not, that's your choice)!!!
> 
> Could this be multiple chapters or leave it as one?? 
> 
> (I don't own any rights to The Rookie or the characters.) 
> 
> **I'm on Tumblr @therookiebook!**

He noticed her as soon as she walked in. It was just after two when she sat at the end of the bar far away from the grizzly older men that he served every day around this time. “What can I get ya,” Tim asked sitting the glass on the counter in front of her.

“What is the strongest thing you got,” she asked in return.

Tim gave her a slight smile before he reached under the bar for the glass bottle. He poured her glass half full before she muttered a quick thanks. “Just holler if you need anything. I’ll be right over there getting ready for the evening.”

The woman before him nodded silently before Tim stepped away. Tim never let his eyes wander too far from the lady sitting at the end of the bar. He took to his daily tasks of cutting the limes, counting the cash, and replenishing the bottles from the night before from the back. He made small talk with the men as they chatted leisurely among themselves.

He would catch himself wincing as she swallowed the dark brown liquid. He had a pretty good idea of what was on her mind for her to be drinking something so stiff this early in the evening. He’s seen girls like her in here before. Trying to drown their pain with some stiff glass of Jim Beam.

Tim walked back over to her once he noticed that she had finished her first glass. He unscrewed the cap before filling her glass half full again. “Something on your mind,” he asked sitting the bottle back under the bar. “I have an open ear if you need it,” he offered her softly.

She gave him a sad smile. “Just a broken heart,” she replied softly bringing the glass to her lips.

Just as he thought. Tim stayed silent listening to her tell her story when she finally opened up to him. How she had set out on a path that would show the man that she would be better off without him. They were set to get married. Only a few weeks away from their wedding day when she walked in on her fiancé in bed with the maid of honor. She was trying her best to move on, but even a week later it still stung much as the first day.

Tim kept her glass full as she talked. He knew that he would be covering her tab tonight. He was going to let her have all the whiskey that she wanted. If it was the only thing that got her talking, to let out her feelings and frustrations, he would pour it all night long.

He knew what she was going through. He had suffered his own heartbreak before. Even he had been on the other side of the bar before. Trying to drown his own misery behind a bottle of whiskey. Trying to ease the pain and it helped a little bit until the next morning when he woke up hungover and still heartbroken. The wound was deeper than he realized at the time and every drink was a deeper hole for him to drag himself out of.

His wife, his Isabel, had left him just over two years ago. He didn’t catch her in best with his best friend, but he did come home one day to an empty house and a note on the kitchen table. He sat at the kitchen table reading over the note hundreds of times unable to put it down and walk away. He was already buzzed when he walked into the bar that night. The old barkeep kept his glass full and let him hash out his feelings.

At the lowest of lows, the old man kept him afloat with the bits of advice that he gave. Six months later, he died of a stroke in his sleep. Tim didn’t have to think twice about buying the bar and carrying on the man’s legacy. Maybe he could help the next person that walked in with a broken heart.

“Time,” he said after a while of listening to her talk. “It might not seem like it now, but time is going to help a lot more than this whiskey,” he said refilling her glass again.

“We’ll see about that,” she said taking another sip.

Tim gave her another sad smile as she continued to sip the whiskey. It was later now, the bar was starting to grow more and more crowded by the minute as it was Friday night and people started to get off work.

“How are you getting home,” Tim asked after she finished the last glass.

“Uber,” she replied flatly.

Tim shook his head looking down at his employees at the end of the bar. “Matt,” he called, and the younger man turned his way quickly. “I’m going to head out. The three of you have this covered?”

“Yes sir.”

Tim nodded as he turned back to her. “Looks like you just got your ride home. Now what do you say we get you out of here,” he asked walking around the edge of the bar, grabbing his jacket and slipping it over his shirt before standing beside her.

The woman looked up at him with squinted eyes for a moment as Tim grinned down at her. “I’m not sleeping with you,” she said looking away from him.

Tim’s laughter escaped him before he could stop it. “I’m not asking you to. I’ve been where you are before. Someone helped me and now I’m helping you.”

She seemed to think it over for a few minutes before she twirled around on the barstool and stood to her feet. Tim watched as she swayed a bit before she reached out for him to keep her straight. She didn’t say much more as he helped her into his truck and they headed towards the address that she gave him.

“I don’t even know your name,” she said softly as they stood outside her apartment door. They were inches apart as she looked up at him. His blue eyes glowing in the low light of the hallway. At that moment her broken heart seemed to fade as she looked up at him.

“Tim…Tim Bradford,” he said with a small grin. If she wasn’t drunk or if she wasn’t dealing with a broken heart, he could of imagine that he was dropping her off after a date, but that was another world. Just something about being here, being with her felt right…almost normal.

She hummed still looking up at him. She played with his name testing how it rolled off her tongue. “Lucy,” she said with a smile, “Lucy Chen.”

Tim smiled down at her as she unlocked her apartment door after a moment. “Have a good night, Ms. Chen,” he said before she disappeared into her apartment out of his sight. Tim sighed to himself as he walked out of the building. She was going to be okay. Time healed all wounds. No matter how slow and painful, it always got better. And if it didn’t or she needed more help, she knew where to find him.


	2. My Own Broken Heart

Seven days had passed, and he still had not seen Lucy again. Maybe she had needed that night to drink away her sorrow only to bounce back stronger than ever. If that was the case, he envied her.

The weekends were always the lowest days of his week. Saturday and Sunday were the two days that he reserved for himself to step away from the bar for a few days. He let Stacey, his general manager, take the reins for the weekend while he managed the bar during the week.

He didn’t do much on his days off. He would always wake up early and get a morning run in around the neighborhood. Most of the days he just lounged around the house diving into the abyss that was either football or baseball. His rams and dodgers would always hold a special place in his heart.

He avoided the bar for those two days. He tried not to think about it. During the week he gave the establishment his full one-hundred and ten percent of his attention, it was nice to be able to take a break and relax.

Mondays always came around faster than he wanted them to. Those were the days that he spent hours in his upstairs office going over the number and ordering to get the place restocked for the upcoming weekend. He loved being the boss, being able to make the rules, but he would happily give the paperwork and managerial duties to anyone that wanted them. He was one of those bosses that would rather be hands-on instead of sitting in an office somewhere.

Tuesday was the first time that he found himself behind the bar again. Tuesdays and Wednesdays were typically the slowest days of the week as far as patrons. The regulars still came around and lingered for hours on end and occasionally a few new people would wander in on their way home, but Tim could handle it. It was usually just him and one other person that worked those nights. Even then he would send them home before closing.

As the days passed, he couldn’t stop himself from wondering about Lucy. At times he caught himself looking up every time the door opened hoping that it would be her. He wondered if she was doing alright or if she was still as heartbroken as she was Friday night. Tim hoped that maybe one day she would walk back through that bar door. He wondered if she had felt something standing in front of her apartment door like he had or if it was just a fluke. An evil game that was being played against his feelings.

When Thursday rolled around, Tim’s mood soured. It had not clicked on his internal calendar that this day was approaching. He figured he would have been over it by now, but when you love someone and give them your all for almost ten years it doesn’t just fade. He was still working on that time thing himself. Every year it hurt a little less, but he couldn’t just forget like he wished he could. It would save a lot of heartache.

Friday was there before he knew it. His sour mood still lingered, and his employees noticed rather quickly that he was not in the mood that night. Stacy had even told him that she could handle it without him, but Tim dismissed the thought quickly. He was not going to let his foul mood keep him from doing his job. However, that night it seemed like he poured more drinks for himself than for a paying customer.

That is why he found himself sitting on the end of the other side of the bar. Almost on the same exact stool that Lucy had sat on a week ago. The party was just blaring behind him, but Tim paid them no attention. The once full bottle of Jim Beam had his full attention. He would slowly drink his glass dry before replenishing the liquid again and again.

Tim had just reached across the bar for the bottle when someone slid in beside him. A little too close for his liking. Still, he paid them no mind as he started to refill his glass. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” he heard her voice beside him, and Tim paused mid tilt.

His head turned towards her slightly. He could see that smile beaming on her face as she looked back at him. “Oh really,” he challenged.

Lucy nodded leaning closer to him. “Unless you plan on pouring me one too.”

Tim chuckled to himself sitting the bottle beside his empty glass. He reached back across the bar and pulled a clean glass out from the other side. Carefully, he raised the bottle and filled both of their classes half full before sitting the bottle down.

“What are we drinking too,” she asked grabbing hold of her glass holding it out for a cheers.

Tim turned towards her on the stool, taking hold of his own glass and bringing it up to her. “Getting over broken hearts,” he said softly gently hitting their glass together before both of them downed the liquid quickly. “What are you doing here,” he asked a few seconds later.

Lucy shrugged. “Just felt like the place to be,” she said softly.

It felt like it just the two of them in the whole building. There was no music blaring in the background as they looked at each other. It was just the two of them, in their own little space. In their own little moment. Everything else faded until was almost nonexistent.

“So,” Lucy started looking away from him as redness started to creep up on her cheeks. The sudden background noise rushing back, the moment was gone. “Who’s broken heart are we celebrating?”

“Mine,” he said flatly, never looking away from her as she tried to look everywhere else but at him.

When she did finally look back at him, he could see the pity flooding her eyes. He hated when people looked at him like that. Ever since Isabel left, every time he mentioned her that was the look he got. He hated it. It filled him with more disgust than the thought of her leaving him. He didn’t need nor want their pity.

“Don’t look at me like that,” he said more harshly than intended. “Sorry,” he apologized quickly. “I didn’t mean for that to sound the way it did. I just…I don’t want you feeling sorry for me. It was a long time ago, but it still stings.”

Lucy nodded with understanding. “Want to talk about it?”

“Not really,” he said shaking his head.

They sat side by side at the end of the bar. Slowly draining the bottle for every ounce of dark liquid that it held. No words were shared between the two as they sat beside each other, letting the other wallow in their own pain for a while.

“You know,” Lucy started after a while as she poured the last bit of liquid into her glass. “Someone told me not too long ago that time would help a lot more than alcohol. Seemed like a pretty wise person to me.”

Tim looked at her through the corner of his eye as he tipped his glass back and swallowed the last of his drink. “Yeah, well…time is just that time. We never know when that magic minute is going to pass by, and we’ll just forget. Hasn’t happened yet.”

Lucy looked over at him. She could see the wounds that he had tried so hard to hide. Wounds that he tried so hard to cover were ripped back open. She would see the pain pouring from him. It was oozing from him. “Do you want to get out of here?”

Tim looked at her quizzically for a moment. “I’m not sleeping with you,” he played with a smile repeating her words from just a week ago. Lucy laughed and he swore that if he died right at that moment, he would die happy. Her laughter felt like someone was picking the weight off his shoulders making it a little more manageable.

“No,” she said with a smile, her hand landing on his arm. “What I mean is how are going getting home?”

“I’m not.”

“Of course, you are. Do you need me to call you an Uber or a taxi? You might own the place, but you can’t sleep on the bar,” she played.

Tim smiled over at her. “Upstairs. I have an office upstairs. There’s a futon and a couch so I’ll just crash on one of those tonight. Wouldn’t be the first time.”

“Ooh, well then…I’m going to call an Uber and head home. It was good to see you again Tim,” she said as she started to ease herself off the barstool.

“Lucy,” he called before she could escape him. “Do you want to come up for a bit?”

Lucy nodded at him after a moment. She slid her phone back into her purse and a small smile crossed her face. Tim gave her a small smile himself as he pushed himself off the barstool and took her hand. “Hey Stacey,” he called as they started towards the back of the bar. “I’m going to call it a night. You good down here?”

The woman gave him a cheeky smile with a knowing look and Lucy was sure she felt Tim’s eyes roll in her bones. “Sure thing boss,” the woman said still giving him a smirk.

Tim looked like he was about to argue or say something else, but instead, he bit his tongue. Giving the crew behind the bar a wave of his free hand before pulling Lucy’s hand and they disappeared upstairs. Tim fished his keys out of his pocket and quickly unlocked the door letting her inside first.

“This is nice,” she complimented stepping inside the space. It was a larger space than she imagined. There was a large wooden desk off to the left. In the middle of the room were two chairs facing the wall which held a large television. Off to the right, there was a neatly made bed with a dark grey comforter beside a couch.

“Home away from home,” he said stepping in behind her, shutting the door. Tim crossed the room and opened a fridge before pulling out two bottles of water. He unscrewed the cap of his bottle and drank half the bottle before Lucy could even open hers. “Now if you’ll excuse me for just a minute,” he said walking across the room and into another small room. “Give me just a minute,” he hollered behind the door of what Lucy would guess was a bathroom.

Lucy let her wonders get the best of her as she ventured over to the bookshelves that ran up the entire length of the wall beside the desk. Some shelves were full of books, others were lined with pictures. Some were of Tim standing in the middle of a desert halfway across the world wearing army greens, some had fellow soldiers lined around him with a big flag stretched across the group. The ones that lined the next shelf were of Tim wearing a black uniform that donned the LAPD patch. Some were of just him; some contained a blonde that she figured was the reason for his recent pains. The one that really caught her attention was the one of Tim laying in a hospital bed giving the camera a thumbs up. Fellow officers surrounded his bed trying to give the camera their best smiles, but she could see the tears building in their eyes.

Tim cleared his throat behind her causing Lucy to jump. “Sorry,” she apologized quickly looking over at him. “I didn’t mean to pry.”

“It’s okay,” Tim assured her. “Nothing but memories now,” he said giving her a sad smile.

Lucy let her eyes run over his form. He had changed out his jeans and long sleeve, now he wore black sweats and grey dodgers shirt. “You were a cop,” she more asked than stated even though she already knew the answer.

Tim nodded walking over to join her in front of the shelves that held the pictures. “Yeah. Twelve years. Best years of my life,” he admitted with a smile.

“What happened?”

“I got hurt,” he stated shortly. “That’s a story for another time. Too much to dive into now.”

Lucy looked back at the photos again. “Is this her,” she asked pointing to the blonde woman beside Tim in one of the photos.

“Yeah,” Tim said with a sigh. “That’s Isabel. She’s my wife.”

“Your wife,” Lucy asked, her mouth hanging slightly agape as she looked at Tim who only nodded his head.

He swallowed hard before speaking again. “Today would have been our tenth anniversary,” he admitted softly keeping his eyes on the pictures to avoid Lucy’s eyes. “I guess those stopped counting two years ago though.”

“Oh, Tim…I’m sorry,” Lucy said after a brief second.

Tim shook his head glancing at her before focusing back on the pictures. “Nothing for you to be sorry for Lucy. She made her choice, and it wasn’t me.”

Lucy could only stare at him as he started to walk away from her towards the pulled out futon across the room. She wondered how this woman in these pictures could willingly walk away from this man. Granted she had not known him for barely a week and having only spent a few hours with him, but Lucy knew that he was a good person. Plus, he wasn’t bad on the eyes either. She wondered what made her walk away.

Tim sat on the edge of the futon, his elbows resting on his knees as his hands ran over his eyes. “She was a cop,” Lucy asked walking over and sitting down beside him. Trying to leave enough space so he felt comfortable, but also letting him know that she was there for him if he needed it.

“Yeah. That’s how we met.”

Lucy’s hand landed on his leg softly. “You looked happy. Both of you did. What…what happened,” she asked quietly. She wasn’t trying to pry or be too nosy, but she wanted, no she needed to know why this woman left him. Why did she think that he wasn’t good enough for her?

Tim took a deep audible breath before dropping his hands away from his face. He turned to look at Lucy and she could see the heartache pooling in his eyes. He nodded his head shortly turning away from her slowly. “We met during the academy. Fell for each other fast. Dated for about a year before I popped the question. We got married quickly. It was great…I thought I found who I was going to spend the rest of my life with. Then it changed. Everything happened so quickly, but maybe I had just missed the signs along the way. I woke up in the hospital and she never came to see me. It wasn’t until I was released a week later that I found the note she left me that morning on the kitchen table.”

Lucy had to take a minute to control her thoughts, to control her own emotions. “I’m…I’m sorry Tim,” she said softly.

“Thanks,” he replied quietly. “She uh…got hooked on heroin and I thought she was cheating on me. She ran off with some druggie and I’ve only seen her once since.”

Lucy stayed quiet beside him. Her own thoughts about her own heartbreak raced through her mind. Had she missed the signs? Was there something she was missing that would have saved her the embarrassment? In the end, she would never truly know.

“Well, I’m beat,” Tim said after a moment of silence. The party still waged on downstairs. “I think I need to get some sleep. I’m not as young as I once was, old men need their sleep,” he said, nudging her arm playfully.

Lucy gave him a small smile. “You’re not old.”

“How old do you think I am?”

Lucy tried to calculate the math in her head, but alcohol was starting to take effect. “Old,” she said jokingly after a minute and Tim crackled with laughter beside her before he stopped to look at her. She felt the distance closing between them as she leaned in to meet him halfway, but Lucy forced herself to stop inches away. Her eyes flickered from his eyes to his lips and she saw his doing the same. She pulled by with a sheepish smile. It would solve neither of their problems if they fell into bed with a person that was practically a stranger.

“I think it’s time I head out,” she said pushing herself up off the bed. “I’ll see you around,” she called over her shoulder as she pulled the office door open.

“Hey Lucy,” Tim called just before she stepped out of the office. “Can you do me a tiny favor?”

“Yeah. Sure.”

Tim smiled at her from across the room. A smile that told her there was something more behind his thoughts. “Can you,” he started reaching towards his head, his hands acting as if they were messing up his buzzcut, “mess your hair up just a bit. If Stacey sees you perfectly normal, then well… I’ll never hear the end of it.”

“You want me to mess my hair up just so you don’t get made fun of?”

Tim nodded slowly to her question. Lucy rolled her eyes. “Goodnight Tim,” she called shutting the door behind her as she finally left the office. She looked back at the office door with a smile. She just knew he was still smirking on the other side. Lucy flipped her head down before quickly flipping it back up. She rustled the side trying to get some of it out of shape. Once she felt like she had done enough, Lucy slowly made her way down the stairs.

She caught sight of Stacey as soon as she stepped back on the main floor. Lucy sent the woman a wink with a smirk before turning towards the door. The things she would do for the man that she just met.


	3. one fake arrest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cheesy alert at the end!
> 
> Still not beta'd.

It was Tuesday when Tim found himself behind the bar again. Stacey wiped down the tables on the floor while Tim cleaned off the bar. The tables were empty since they still had almost an hour before they opened. It was only the two of them right now, Matt would be in later because Tim had plans for the night.

“So, what are your secret plans,” Stacey asked tossing her towel in the basket as she walked around the end of the bar. She washed her hands quickly before grabbing some limes to start cutting them.

“It wouldn’t be a secret if I told you now would it,” Tim remarked shooting a grin towards his general manager. He knew that her eyes rolled as she focused on the green fruit in front of her.

The front door jingled open causing both of them to look up quickly. “Sorry we’re cl--,” Stacey started but trailed off as she caught sight of the two police officers stepping through the door.

“Don’t worry we’ll only be a minute,” said the older of the two officers. “We’re here concerning a Tim Bradford. Either of you know him?”

Stacey shot Tim a questioning look. Tim tossed his towel on the bar with a sigh. “You’re looking at him, Detective Lopez,” he said with a teasing smirk, walking around the edge of the bar addressing the slightly younger of the two officers.

Lopez nodded her head towards the older man who stepped forward quickly as Tim turned around. The metal cuffs clinked around his wrist before he was turned back towards the front door. Tim was handed off to Lopez once they stepped outside the bar. “Really Angela? I thought we decided to do this later. Are the cuffs necessary? How much do I owe you this year?”

Angela merely nodded as she fished a handcuff key out of her pocket. She undid the cuffs from his wrists before tossing them back to the other officer. “You’re riding in the back boot,” she ordered climbing into the front seat ignoring Tim’s questions as she did.

Tim did a double-check over his shoulder taking a good look at the man standing confused holding open the back door which he thought was for Tim. He shook his head walking around the SUV before sliding into the passenger seat. Again, he looked over his shoulder at the man behind the cage before turning back to Angela.

“Boot? You’re telling me this dinosaur is a rookie?”

Angela looked up in the review mirror at the officer in the back. “He didn’t mean that Nolan. He just gets a little cranky when the cuffs are too tight,” she said addressing the man in the back seat. “Yes, Officer Nolan is a rookie. Is that a problem,” she asked pulling the car onto the street back towards Mid-Wilshire.

Tim looked over his shoulder one last time before settling again in the front seat. “Nope. How old are you anyway boot?”

“You don’t get to call him boot anymore Tim,” Angela reminded him.

Tim rolled his eyes, letting out a huff. He was going to call the man whatever he wanted to, but for now, he would appease Angela.

“Now,” she said looking over his way, “tell me about this woman. Five and I won’t ask again,” she bartered.

Tim looked over at her quickly. “Make it ten for good measure.”

\--

Lucy was panicking as she walked into the police station. A large manilla envelope full of cash in her hand that she had picked up from Stacey after Tim had given her instructions of what to do. She had stopped by the bar and Stacey already had the envelope waiting on her almost as if she knew Lucy was going to come.

She had just sat down at her desk when her cell phone rang. Some Detective Lopez was calling to inform her that Tim had been arrested. Tim had asked her if she would swing by the bar and pick up an envelope and bring it to the station so that he could be released. She didn’t have to think twice about it.

She barely remembered giving her boss a story about her cat, Arnold, who needed to be picked up from the vet and she needed to leave. She doesn’t even have a cat. Lucy had always been more of a dog person. Now she had to fake having a cat until her boss eventually forgot.

Lucy tucked her hair behind her ear as she walked through the front door of the station. She swallowed trying to wet her dry throat as she slowly approached the counter. “Hi, uh, I received a call from a Detective Lopez. Is she around by chance?”

The white-haired woman behind the counter stared at Lucy unamused for a long second. “Name,” she asked reaching towards the phone.

“Lucy Chen,” she replied quickly still clutching the heavy envelope in her hand. She didn’t know how much was in the envelope, but it sure was heavy. She wondered what Tim had done.

“Detective Lopez, please report to the front desk,” the woman said into the phone before looking back at Lucy.

Lucy stood awkwardly at the desk trying to focus her attention anywhere but on the woman standing in front of her. It felt as if five minutes had passed before a side burst open and a woman closer to Lucy’s age strolled through the door. Lucy didn’t miss the tiny smirk that crossed Lopez’s face as her eyes set on Lucy. “Lucy Chen,” she asked walking over to Lucy.

“Yes ma’am. Detective Lopez,” she questioned in return. The woman looked familiar, but Lucy could not put the woman in any of her recent memories.

The woman nodded with a smile. “Are you here for Tim?”

Lucy nodded nervously. “Yeah, he told me to bring this and give it to you,” she said extending the envelope over towards Angela.

Angela took the envelope from her hand slowly. She undid the fastening at the top and took a quick peek inside giving a mere nod before closing the envelope and sealing it again. “Can you put this in the box for me Marg,” she asked turning towards the woman behind the desk.

“Anything for you hun,” the woman replied sweetly giving Angela a soft smile as she took the envelope full of cash from the detective.

“So,” Angela said turning back to Lucy. “Just follow me and I’ll take you to Mr. Bradford,” she said motioning to a door on the other side of the room opposite of the one that she had just walked out of.

Lucy nodded following after the woman as she led Lucy through the precinct down the back hallways to what she could only guess was their holding cells. “How do you know Tim,” Angela asked stopping in the middle of one of the back hallways.

Lucy paused trying to formulate an answer. She stood silent for a minute trying to think. “We’re friends,” she said with a timid smile. She could say they were friends, right? Weren’t they friends?

Angela looked at her in silence for a moment. Lucy was almost tempted to ask if she needed a lawyer herself when Angela suddenly looked away from her and started back down the hallway. Lucy followed behind her slowly trying to rack her mind of why this woman looked so familiar. Angela opened a door that led to another long hallway. They walked in silence about halfway down the hallway when Lucy suddenly stopped.

“You worked with him didn’t you,” she asked causing Angela to turn her away again. Finally, it clicked.

Angela nodded slowly.

“There’s a picture in his office of you around his bed in the hospital after he got hurt. What happened to him?”

Angela chuckled. “Nice try Ms. Chen, but if anyone deserves to tell that story it’s Tim. He’ll tell you when he’s ready.”

“It must be difficult for you to arrest him,” Lucy pondered aloud. Angela laughed causing Lucy to took at her confused as the two stood facing each other in the hallway.

“Come on, Lucy,” she said pushing a door open beside them with a smile. Lucy’s eyes scanned the holding cages as they walked into the room. There were people sitting and standing in the cells, but none of them were Tim. “Come here,” Angela said walking across the room to a window. “See for yourself,” she said motioning to the open blinds.

Confused Lucy stepped forward beside the detective looking out the window. She couldn’t stop the smile from crossing her face as she finally caught sight of Tim. He was half-sitting on a desk, his legs stretched out in front of him. His arms were crossed over his chest as he engaged in a conversation with some officers. She saw the smile spread across his face and she could hear his laughter through the glass.

“We didn’t arrest him,” Angela informed her from behind. “Before Tim got hurt, every year he would make a donation to the department's Christmas fund that we use to buy gifts for kids in the community. Since he’s gotten hurt, we’ve started doing this. It gives him a chance to see everyone again and continue his tradition. I think it’s more for us than him though.”

Lucy stayed silent letting her eyes linger on him longer than necessary. He looked genuinely happy. There was no denying how his smile and laughter filled her own heart with warmth. She couldn’t stop the grin from pulling at her lips as she stared at him.

“You think you can get him out of here though? Trust me I love the guy, but he’s been here half the day already and these people need to get back to work,” Angela played behind her.

Lucy nodded looking back at Angela.

“Great.”

Lucy followed Angela out the door which led to the main room that had several desks and police officers spread through the room. She didn’t miss how Tim’s smile stayed on his face and his eyes brightened when he saw her. “Tim,” Angela said as they walked closer to him, but Tim’s eyes had been locked on Lucy ever since she walked into the room. “Your ride is here.”

“What did she ask you,” Tim asked Lucy once she stood in front of him.

“Nothing,” Lucy said with a smile, shaking her head.

“What did she tell you,” Tim continued to question. She could hear the playful tint to his voice.

Lucy peaked over at Angela, who had a smirk on her face before she looked back at Tim. “Do I need a lawyer Mr. Bradford,” she questioned playfully.

Tim’s eyes narrowed on her briefly before he pushed himself off the desk. “I guess I’ll find out later,” he huffed. “Can I get a ride back to the bar?”

Lucy looked away from him for a second pretending to ponder over his question before she looked back at him. “I guess.”

Tim rolled his eyes at Lucy. He stepped closer to Angela and the two embraced quickly. “Thanks,” he whispered in her ear.

“You owe me big time,” she returned just a quietly.

Tim nodded against her shoulder before the two let go. “Well, I have a bar to manage and a general manager to send home. So, if we can be on our way.”

Tim’s hand rested on Lucy’s lower back as he directed them towards the door. “Hey Tim,” they heard Angela call behind them. “Don’t be a stranger.”

Tim smiled back at his friend. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

\--

Tim and Lucy stood outside of the bar. His hands were tucked in the front pockets of his jeans as she stood in front of him. “Thanks for today.”

“Not a problem,” she replied with a smile. “Just next time you want to get fake arrested, just let me know first so I don’t have to make up a story about my pet cat.”

“You have a cat?”

“Nope,” she said with a laugh.

Tim just shook his head as he looked down at her. He couldn’t stop the smile from pulling at his lips as he looked at her. His heart was pounding in his chest. God, what was he doing. Tim cleared his throat breaking himself out of his thoughts. “I better get inside before Stacey actually murders me.”

“Probably.”

Tim wanted to give her a hug, a kiss on the cheek, anything, but he resisted. They were friends. They were friends, right? Instead, a settled with giving her a quick smile before turning to push the door open.

“Hey Tim,” she called just as the door opened.

Tim turned back to her quickly. “Yeah?”

“Here,” she said holding out a piece of paper for him to take. “Next time you need to call me just use this, instead of having your police friends look up my phone number,” she teased.

Tim laughed as he took the paper from her. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” she said with a smile. “Have a goodnight Tim,” she said softly.

“Goodnight Lucy.”

Lucy gave him one last smile as she turned back towards her car on the street. She had just closed the door when her phone started to ring in her pocket. She fished the phone out to see an unfamiliar number glowing across the screen. “Hello,” she questioned pressing the phone to her ear as she started her car.

“Too soon?”

Lucy paused. Her eyes flickered over to Tim, who still stood in the doorway of the bar, his phone pressed against his ear. “No.” She heard Tim hum in her ear and a smile spread across her face matching his. “Goodnight Tim.”

“Goodnight Lucy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and comments are appreciated! Thanks for reading! 
> 
> What happens next??


	4. Flash to the Past (plus a new beginning)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As much as I wanted to write their first kiss, I decided to skip that and ease them into a relationship. I wanted something big to happen. Does this count as big? I don't know, you tell me. I do have a plan for what happens next! 
> 
> As always thanks for reading! Thank you all for the support on the first chapters! More soon!
> 
> I’m on tumblr @therookiebook!!
> 
> not beta'd...mistakes are my own.

Tim’s shoulder popped as he slipped his t-shirt back over his head. Doctor Harp turned away from him tapping away on the iPad in his hands. This was his sixth time taking the test. The first one was eight months after the incident which he failed miserably. His shoulder had given out after two measly attempts at doing a single pushup. Thankfully the doctor did not make him embarrass himself anymore that day. At least by the second test four months later, he was able to do ten push-ups before collapsing. It was progress, but it still wasn’t enough. The run was a little better, but it still left him gasping for breath and shaking in pain. His shoulder, his side…his pride, everything hurt.

Here he was, almost two years to the day, finishing up his sixth test. He felt fine, good even. There was hardly any pain. His shoulder was tight, but he could handle that. This felt like it. It felt like the final step until he was back to normal. Back to where he truly wanted to be.

“So what’s the results,” he asked breaking the silence that filled the room. Doctor Harp stayed silent as he continued to tap away on the screen. Tim could feel the anxiety starting to creep over him. The monster that stayed on his shoulder every time he walked through those hospital doors started to weigh him down.

His current normal would be a perfectly fine normal if it was what he wanted. Most people only dreamed about owning their own business, getting to drink at work, or even enjoying their job, but Tim wanted his old normal back. He wanted nothing more than to be able to put that uniform back on and strap back in the squad car for a shift. Even if it was a single shift, he just wanted one more. He wanted to be able to go out the way he wanted to. It wasn’t fair that it was ripped away without him having a say in the matter.

He felt the hope that was starting to build in his chest crumble when Dr. Harp finally turned towards him. Just the face alone, as the doctor continued to look down at the screen, told him everything he needed to know. It wasn’t his first time seeing it.

Tim nodded silently, peeling his eyes away from the doctor. He had to bite the inside of his cheek trying to hide his anger, his disappointment. This felt like it, the final time, yet here he was sitting on an exam table feeling the pangs of disappointment for the sixth time.

“Your results look good. Heart rate is good, arm mobility looks better, but,” and there it was, the elusive ‘but’, “I can’t clear you just yet. You’ve made a lot of progress since the start, but we’re still not where we need to be. Just keep working on everything. Remember to stretch, if it starts to hurt-”

“Stop,” Tim finished for the doctor, rolling his eyes. He had heard it several times. He was over it, beyond over it. Did he ever stop though? No. He wasn’t going to stop until he was back.

Tim caught the pointed, unamused look coming from Harp and had to swallow what was left of his pride. Taking a deep breath, he gave the man a defeated nod. “Okay. Alright. Stretch and stop. Same prescription as the last five times.”

“And take the pain pills.”

The gruff laughter escaped him before Tim could stop it. “Yeah, I’m not doing that,” Tim said with a shake of the head.

Harp looked at him defeated. He had tried since the start to get the stubborn man before him to take the pills when the pain started to be too much, but Tim refused. Something about how he didn’t need pills to get by, he would be okay without them. The iPad in his hands dropped to his side as Harp just looked at the man before him. Somethings never really do change. “I can’t force you, but I’m still going to put in a weeks’ worth in case you do change your mind.”

“I won’t,” Tim said shortly pushing himself off the exam table. “Same time in three months,” he asked as he crossed the small exam room towards the door.

The doctor nodded shortly. “Three months,” Harp echoed as Tim pulled the door open. “And Bradford, don’t get discouraged. Things like this take time. We’ll get you back.”

“Yeah, I’m starting to doubt that,” Tim mumbled to himself as he walked out of the hospital room. In the beginning, he wanted to believe that it was only temporary. Two years later and six failed exams later one’s hope can only take so many hits before it shatters.

\--

Tim could feel the burn start to flare up as he wiped down the bar. He was mad at himself, mad at the doctor, mad about the whole situation. Grabbing the glass of whiskey that was sitting nearby, Tim brought it to his lips quickly. The liquid burned on the way down, but he was used to that by now. It helped more than any of the pills that the doctor could prescribe, plus it was more fun this way.

The bell on the door jingled as it was opened causing Tim to look over the brim of his glass. He knew she was coming. It became a part of her routine. Every three months, Angela would stop in around lunch, ask about the appointment, try to give him a pep talk about it only to leave just as disappointed as he was.

“Different day, same results,” Tim said slamming the now empty glass down on the bar. He felt the sting start to spread through his hand. The shards of bloody glass covered the once clean bar before him. Tim held the bloody hand up letting Angela see evidence of his out of character explosion as he looked for a towel. He heard her scolding as she moved quickly across the bar towards him. Grabbing a clean towel from under the bar, Tim wrapped it securely around his hand.

“What the hell are you thinking,” Angela lashed as she crossed the bar quickly.

Tim only shook his head in response. He held the now bloody towel up grabbing a trashcan to wipe the glass sharps away as Angela continued her chastising. For the most part, he was able to tune her out only catching the key phrases that she spit out. If he wanted to be a sad, disappointed idiot, he wasn’t going to do it around her.

“I get it,” Tim snapped coldly finally looking up at Angela. “Now if that’s all you came to say, the door is right there.” He caught Angela’s eye roll before she could look away from him. Letting out a deep sigh, Tim's hands pressed against the edge of the bar. His head hung low for just a moment before he looked back up at her. Before him, he didn’t just see another police officer. He saw a friend, someone who has been there for him for years. Before Isabel left, before getting hurt, Angela was there. She had always been there.

“Sorry,” he apologized quickly. “It’s just… I thought this was it. Waking up this morning actually felt good, like everything was normal again,” he said defeated. “And now, it’s not.”

A flash of pity crossed her face and Tim was about to criticize her for it when Angela started to speak. “Just listen to Harp. He’s a good doctor and he’ll get you back. He’s helped a lot of people get back, don’t lose faith.”

Tim nodded as she spoke. He had dealt with Harp a few times before, but this was different. The other times he was declared fit for duty, this…this was hell. “I know, but it's been nearly two years Angela. I don’t know how much longer I can keep doing this,” he admitted softly.

“What does that even mean?”

The bell on the door jingled before Tim could reply. The pair’s eyes quickly snapped up to see Lucy walk in a smile on her face. Even in his sour mood, Tim could not stop the grin that pulled at his lips just at the sight of her. “Hey,” he said surprised as she walked closer to them. “What are you doing here?”

Lucy slid in next to him behind the bar. Tim leaned down and placed a quick kiss on her lips before Lucy pulled away after a minute. “Good morning to you too,” she said smiling up at him. “Angela called me.”

Tim’s brows furrowed as his eyes moved between the pair. “You two have each other numbers? Why is that?”

“We exchanged numbers that day at the precinct,” Lucy tried to lie, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. His eyes stayed locked on hers for a long minute seeing straight through her lie. Lucy cleared her throat looking down away from him. “What happened to your hand,” she exclaimed seeing the blood-soaked towel wrapped around his hand.

“Ju-just an accident,” he stuttered bringing his hand up. His grimace not going unnoticed as he tried to flex it. He pulled away from her sharply when Lucy tried to grab his hand. “It’s fine. It’ll be better in a few weeks. Do you two chat frequently,” he asked trying to change the subject.

“Oh no, no,” Lucy said looking away from him.

“Well,” Angela started causing both of them to look back towards her. “We don’t talk about you,” she told him with a smile. “There are other matters for us to discuss.”

Tim’s brows raised looking at Angela. “Other matters? Care to explain?”

Angela looked at Lucy before looking back at Tim. “You haven’t told him yet, have you?”

Lucy bit her lip trying to keep her eyes off Tim, but she could feel him staring holes through her. “Uh no,” she slowly finally looking up at them.

“Didn’t tell me what?” 

\--

“You want to be a cop,” Tim repeated asking Lucy, who now stood silently on the other side of the bar. Angela had left half an hour ago leaving Tim and Lucy suffering in silence alone. He wasn’t mad that she did not tell him, more disappointed if anything. “Why didn’t you say something?”

“I didn’t want to upset you,” she defended.

“Lucy,” he started to scold, “You wouldn’t have gotten upset. I’d be happy for you, hell I am happy for you. I can make a few calls and put in a good word. Whatever you need.”

“Angela already did. Passed the physical and exams last week. The academy starts after the holidays.”

Tim’s head shook in shock. “Wow, that’s…that’s soon.”

“Yeah.”

Tim could not stop the grin from pulling at his lips. “Well, I believe congratulations are in order,” he said leaning over the bar. Lucy met him halfway, their lips meeting softly. Their foreheads rested against each other when they broke apart. “Boot.”

The door to the bar was pushed open before Lucy could reply. Both of their eyes snapped to the door to see two skinny, white males walk in. “What can I get you, fellas,” Tim asked as the two slowly made their way towards the bar.

The movement was too quick for either of them to react as both men pulled out pistols from their waistbands. “We only want the money. Give us that and no one gets hurt,” one yelled stepping closer to Tim and Lucy.

Lucy looked over her shoulder at Tim expecting him to say something, move, do something, but Tim stayed still as a statue. His eyes staring straight forward at the door. His body was there, but Tim wasn’t. He was far away fighting past demons.

_His lungs were burning as he ran after the fleeing man. The man had fled as soon as the squad car come to a screeching halt outside the store. Today of all days he had let his rookie drive leaving Tim to give chase as the man ran down the back alley of the store. “Stop! Police,” he yelled as chased the suspect._

_Tim could see the fear in the man’s eyes as he looked over his shoulder seeing Tim closing in. He fired once, but it was far wide, the bullet hitting off the bricks of the building. Tim reached for his own pistol as the suspect turned the corner of the alley. He shielded himself behind the corner, peeking out to see the fleeing suspect closing in on a solid brick wall that prevented any escape._

_Tim turned the corner of the alley, his pistol firmly in his hand aimed down towards the suspect. “Put down the gun,” he commanded the man. “Put the gun down!” The man whipped around to face him, and Tim could still see the fear bleeding from the man’s face. “Put the gun down,” Tim demanded once again._

_“I can’t…I can’t do that,” the man cried keeping his aim shakily on Tim. “I can’t go back to jail!”_

_Tim ducked behind a nearby dumpster, giving himself a moment to collect himself. “You have nowhere to go, but the gun down and we can both walk out of here. No one has to get hurt.”_

_“Just let me go,” the man tried to plead. “I promise, I won’t do this again, please.”_

_“You know I can’t do that,” Tim said pushing himself out of his cover. “Put the gun down and we can talk. Let me help you.”_

_“No one can help me. They are going to send me back! I can’t go back!”_

_Tim felt the ripple of pain before he could process the sound. A total of four shots, two missing while one ripped through his shoulder and the other tore through his upper left arm, shredding the muscle. The gun in his hand fell to the pavement below. Tim looked down to see trickles of blood droplets starting to form puddles around the fallen firearm._

_His left arm fell hung loosely by his side as Tim looked back up at the man holding the smoking gun. “That was stupid,” Tim said with a grimace. He could hear the sound of sirens on the street, Tim knew back up was coming. This was only going to end one way once others arrived. “Both of us can still walk out of here, just drop the gun.”_

_The man’s eyes jumped away from Tim as officers flooded around the corner of the alley. “I’m sorry,” the man apologized before firing the gun one last time._

_Tim lay was on his back against the pavement. He could feel the warmth leaving his body, his blood starting to pool around him. A barrage of bullets flew over him as he lay there motionless, numb, and cold. He heard a short cry followed by a thud down the alley._

_He fought to keep his heavy eyes open forcing them open again and again. His breaths turned into gasps for fresh air as Angela’s worried face filled his vision. “You’re going to be okay. Help is coming. Hold on Tim, hold on,” he heard her muffled voice say before his eyes slid closed._

“Tim! Tim! Tim,” Lucy shouted shaking him gently trying to bring him back from wherever he was, whatever he was fighting.

Tim jumped away from her with a gasp. His eyes frantically checked the room seeing no one, but Lucy who looked at with worry in her eyes. The two men had already fled taking an unknown amount of cash with them. “What happened? Where did-?”

“It’s okay,” Lucy cut him off. “It’s okay. They're gone. The police are on their way, it’s okay,” she tried to calm him.

“Are you okay? Did they hurt you?”

“I’m fine. They just wanted cash, I’m fine. Tim, where did you go?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So whatcha think? 
> 
> Now, we know what happened to Tim! Does Lucy find out soon? Does someone who we all know come along and shake things up? Has the downfall started? These two are just getting started! 
> 
> Thanks for reading!! Let me know what you think!


	5. falling to rise again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aye! Welcome back. Thanks for clicking on this fic once again! 
> 
> I'm on Tumblr @therookiebook!

It was just over a week later before Lucy heard from Tim again. She had been worried about him ever since the robbery. Her phone calls and text messages went unanswered, she didn’t know what he was going through. Lucy had stopped by the bar a few nights ago when she knew that Tim would be working, yet the only person she found behind the bar was Matt serving the drinks. Tim was nowhere in sight. Matt even let her go up and check the office, but still no Tim.

After the robbery, Tim had fallen silent, trapped within himself fighting his own demons. It was Angela that responded to the call, surprising both of them. She was assigned to homicide, not burglary but when she heard the address over the radio, she came running. However, Tim gave them little information. Most small-time robberies around the city went unsolved anyway, he didn’t see the point of filing a report.

When Angela finally did leave, Lucy tried to get him to talk, to say anything but Tim was reluctant to say much of anything. She tried to ask about what happened, and Tim answered her with silence.

Tim did walk Lucy to her that night. She could feel the tension radiating off him. Lucy wanted to tell him that she didn’t think less of him, that these things happen to people that have faced trauma, it was normal, but Lucy stayed quiet. Reflecting back on the moment, she wished she would have said something, maybe now he wouldn’t be trying to distance himself from her.

He pressed a quick kiss to the side of her head before Lucy slipped into her car. Lucy gave him a soft smile behind the window, but there was no joy nor spark in his eyes in return. It was different, it wasn’t the Tim she knew. Whatever was in his past was haunting and it was dragging him down.

Saturday night rolled around before Lucy knew it. Lucy curled in the arm of her couch, her legs tucked beneath her as her eyes moved across the pages of the LAPD manual. The phone that had been silent for most of the week rested like a brick on the arm of the couch. Being alone on a Saturday night, reading a boring manual was not something she had planned on doing. She wanted to be with Tim, but he had been putting distance between them ever since the robbery.

Lucy grew up with therapists as parents. She was a science experiment throughout her childhood. She knew about emotions; she knew that some people hide behind walls instead of facing them head-on. She knew that trauma makes people act differently from how they should, she knows that. She knows that one of those people just happens to be Tim Bradford.

The buzz of her phone’s vibrations caused Lucy’s eyes to move from the tiny black words on the page to the name illuminated on the screen. The name had her reaching for the phone without a second thought. “Hello,” she said pressing the phone against her ear.

The sound of music filled her ear. It wasn’t the typical smooth music that she heard when he was at the bar. Instead, it was faster, louder, upbeat. The sound behind him was chaotic. “Lucy,” she heard him sing into the phone. “What are you doing beautiful,” he said barely loud enough for her to hear over the music.

Lucy could hear the slur in his words and her eyes rolled involuntarily. “Tim, where are you? What are you doing?”

He sighed into the phone at her questions. “Calm down Lucy. I’m just out enjoying myself. Nothing a few drinks can’t fix.”

“Are you drunk,” she asked rhetorically, Lucy already knew the answer.

Tim blew into the phone; she knew he rolled his eyes. “No,” he replied slowly, trying to reduce the slur of his words.

“Where are you?”

Lucy heard a rustle on the other end of the line. Tim’s whines and protests were now in the background. “Lucy,” Stacey asked bringing the phone to her ear.

“Stacey? What is going on? Where are you,” Lucy asked tossing her highlighted manual on the couch beside her. 

“We’re at the bar. He’s been here drinking since this morning. I walked in to get the place ready and he was already at the bar, half a bottle of whiskey gone. I’ve never seen him like this Lucy. Whatever happened last week has him really messed up. Is there any way you can come down here? He seems to like to talk to you.”

Lucy could hear Tim’s protests in the background as Stacey talked. More than once she had to pause to shush him before continuing. Lucy was on her feet in seconds. Her head pressed against her shoulder holding her phone as Lucy slipped on her tennis shoes. “Yeah. I’ll be there in twenty,” Lucy said grabbing her keys off the hook and running out the door. “Tell him to shut up and stop whining. I’m on my way.”

\--

Tim sat at the end of the bar. The party was roaring behind him. College kids and young adults filled his bar on the weekend. It was their weekend party spot, where they weren’t run off for being too loud or disruptive. When Tim was at the bar it was typically quiet, only the every day older patrons would attend, this must be why he didn’t work on the weekends anymore.

Tim protected what was left in his glass as Stacey pried the bottle of whiskey out of his grasps. “I’m taking this,” she said as he tried to fight, but it was fruitless. Tim eyed her out of the corner of his eye as Stacey took the bottle to the other end of the way away from him. She returned for only a second to plant a bottle of water beside his glass instructing him to drink it.

If he wanted to drink himself away until he regretted it the next morning, he should be allowed to. The past week had been misery. The times that he did manage to shut his eyes and try to sleep, he woke up hours later, panting and sweating. His flashbacks haunted his dreams. Even in his dreams, he was plagued with the fact that he might never be a cop again. It was starting to become clear that even his own mind was turning against him. Instead of Angela appearing over him, it was the shooter. The scared man filled his vision, the barrel of the gun pointed straight down. It was the sound of the shot that had him sitting up in bed, sweating, and heart-pounding.

He owned the bar, if he wanted to drink away his profit, he was only hurting himself in the end. No one cared about him anymore. Isabel was gone and he wouldn’t be surprised if Lucy didn’t even show up tonight. When she was in the face of danger, he froze. He was unable to keep her safe. If something had happened to her because he of him, he would never forgive himself. His mind was full of thoughts that Lucy deserved better than him.

They had not been seeing each other long, but things with her felt different. With Isabel, it was different, it was okay. With Lucy, it was exciting. Just seeing her made his heart rate pick up, a smile made its way onto his face effortlessly. She was different.

He was washed up. He was an injured, no good, former cop that could never protect her if she needed it. Doctor Harp made that clear last week. No matter how hard he worked, how hard he tried, he was never going to get cleared. It was about time he accepted it instead of hiding from the truth like he had the last two years. It was over. He was going to spend the rest of his life behind a bar fixing drinks for those poor, sad souls that were better off than himself.

Someone slid in next to him and Tim just figured it was Lucy. She had come for him after all. Tim grabbed for her without paying much attention. Pulling her to him quickly, Tim crashed his lips into hers. One hand held her cheek, while the other landed on her thigh.

It felt as if he had kissed her a thousand times when in reality it was much less. Each time was different, yet just as intoxicating as the first. Except for this time, she moved against him hungrily in a way she never had before. Her lips were not the luscious, plump mounds covered in clear lip gloss as they moved against his. No, they were drier, cracked in places, rough even. He had half a mind pull away, look at her, get a clear look at the woman before him, but the alcohol and the need to feel like someone else kept him from doing that. She made him feel like a new person.

There was a tap on his shoulder, but Tim ignored it. It was his bar; he could do what he wanted. Tim pulled away from her reluctantly when there was another tap on his shoulder. He was just about to tell the person to screw off when his words caught in his throat when his eyes landed on her.

Tim swallowed heavily as he took the sight of Lucy standing in front of him. His mouth hung open as he froze staring at her. His eyes slowly shifted away from Lucy to the unknown woman that he had been caught making out with. Regret pulled in his stomach instantly.

His eyes landed on the blonde sitting beside him. Waves of confusion washed over him. Hurt that he tried so hard to bury resurfacing just at the sight of her. What the hell type of sick game was this?

“Isabel?”

\--

Lucy was following him up the stairs to the office above the bar. His thoughts were spinning. His emotions mixed. He was mad at her for thinking that she could just show up after the way she left him, kiss him, and think that it was all going to be okay. He had barely pieced himself back together, yet here he was about to break all over again. First being told that he still wasn’t going to be cleared for duty, now Isabel magically reappearing again, it was too much. He was only human after all.

Tim collapsed in a heap on the couch in the office. His arm draped over his eyes trying to will himself to find a reason why life decided to leave a giant mess on his front porch. How was it that just when things started to look up in his life everything always seemed to fall apart? Lucy was a stroke of luck, yet he’s gone and messed that up. She truly deserved better than him.

The door to the office closed softly. Tim heard her footsteps as she crossed the room quietly. He knew she was close; he could feel it. Blindly Tim’s hand reached out for her until his fingers brushed against the soft outside of her sweatpants. Lucy’s hand landed on his keeping his hand against her leg until he opened his eyes to look at her.

“Tim,” she said just barely above a whisper. “What’s happening? Talk to me.”

Tim turned his head to look at her fully. Goodness, she was beautiful. Even in her lazy lounge clothes, she was breathtaking. “Do you want the full version or a summary?”

Taking a deep breath, Tim told her everything. His eyes closed as he described the details, no stone was left unturned. From how he got shot, to Isabel leaving, to the repeated failures of trying to get cleared, to the nightmare that haunted his dreams for the last week. He laid it all out. If she took off running after she did, he wouldn’t blame her. She wouldn’t be the first person to leave him.

Tim heard her get up and expected the sound of the door to follow. Instead, he felt warmth as Lucy’s weight pressed against him. His eyes fluttered open to see her brown hair fill his vision. Lucy pulled back after a minute, keeping her elbow propped on his stomach.

“Why did it take you getting drunk to tell me this?”

Tim’s hand ran down her arm as he stayed quiet for a long minute. “I don’t…I don’t know. No one’s really cared to listen before.”

Lucy looked down at him with sadness in her eyes. “I’m here,” she said laying one hand on his chest. “If you need to talk to anyone about anything, talk to me. It’s not healthy to keep everything bottled up inside like this. Okay? Whatever you need, whenever you need it just talk to me. Let’s not hide our feelings behind alcohol anymore, okay?”

Tim chuckled to himself, his hand coming down to rest on hers. “That’s how we met isn’t it,” he asked playfully, a teasing grin sweeping across his features. Lucy swatted his chest lightly as Tim chuckled again. His hand held onto hers’ tightly as he looked Lucy in the eyes. “Okay,” he agreed.

“Good,” Lucy said with a smile looking down at him.

“Good,” Tim repeated nodding his head. They locked eyes for a long moment silently letting each other know that they were going to be okay. They had each other to depend on when it mattered most. Even in the short time together, everything about them felt right, perfect even.

“Now, what was this about making out with your soon-to-be ex-wife?”

“Honest mistake,” Tim defeated with a laugh. “Didn't even enjoy it either. I thought it was you, but well…”

Lucy hummed looking down at him. She leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss against his lips. The mix between just kissing him and the taste of whiskey on his lips, she was teetering on the edge herself. Reluctantly, Lucy pulled herself away from him. “Better?”

Tim nodded. “Much. So, um…there is a gala on Thursday for the LAPD. It’s their annual Christmas fundraiser. Seeing as I haven’t had a date for the last two years, I was wondering if you wanted to go with me?”

Lucy’s brows raised in question. “Are you asking me on a date? Like an actual around your friends date?”

Tim’s eyes rolled at her playful questions. They had been on several dates already, even going on a double date with Angela and her fiancé Wesley. He wasn’t ashamed to bring her around his friends and people he considered family. After a few years into their marriage dates between Tim and Isabel faded to a stop. “Yeah, I guess I am,” he conceded.

“Oh, whatever will I wear?”

“We’ll find you something,” he said sitting up. His mind swimming for a moment before settling. Tim pressed his lips to hers quickly. This was so much better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!   
> Comments and kudos are appreciated!! Let me know what you think! 
> 
> More soon!!


	6. three little words

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off it's been forever and day, but finally we have something new! 
> 
> This chapter was inspired by "I Don't Care" by Ed Sheeran. The song they would be dancing to is "What Have I Done" by Dermot Kennedy (hella good song, be sure to check it out.) Thanks onceuponafandomtime on Tumblr for the recommendation! 
> 
> As always, let me know what you think! More soon!!

“Wow! This place is—.”

“Cheesy? Over the top? Unnecessary,” Tim interrupted firing off questions as they walked through the door arm in arm.

“Beautiful,” Lucy finished letting her eyes fully take in the décor hung expertly through the room. Warm white lights ran through the raptors and down the side walls. More lights ran under the bar. A giant tree sat in the corners of both sides of the stage decorated with warm white lights and silver and navy ornaments. Puffs of fake snow sat in the middle of the tables with a small poinsettia. Soft Christmas tones wafted through the speakers as people mingled throughout the room.

“If you say so,” Tim mumbled to himself as they walked deeper into the crowd of people. “Angela managed to get our seats next to theirs,” he said leading her towards a table on the other side of the room. Lucy couldn’t stop a smile from pulling at her lips as she caught sight of Angela trying to spot them through the crowd.

“Wow you look absolutely stunning,” Angela complimented, letting her eyes take in Lucy’s burgundy body-length maxi dress. Lace sleeves covered her arms. Her wavy brown hair fell below her shoulders. “You don’t look too bad yourself either,” she said playfully looking over at Tim.

His eyes rolled as he shook his head. He pulled Lucy’s chair out for her to sit beside Angela at the round table before taking his seat beside her. “Who else is sitting here,” he asked leaning forward to see Angela and Wesley.

“Wade and Luna,” she replied quickly. “So at least it’s someone we know. Could be the captain from East Hollywood. The guy can talk your ear off plus some.”

Grey and Luna joined them at the table shortly afterward taking their seats across from Tim and Lucy around the table. “So you’re the infamous Lucy,” Grey greeted as they sat down. “It’s great to finally meet you. I’ve heard all about how you’re whipping this one into shape,” he said motioning his head toward Tim. Tim’s eyes rolled playfully as others at the table laughed.

“It’s nice to meet you too,” Lucy said smiling towards the older man.

They flowed into conversation easily after that. They told stories from the past, a few to Angela and Tim’s expense, but the two were good sports about it. They offered their own excuses or justifications for their past action, but it only made the rest of the table laugh.

“Having a good time,” Tim asked, leaning over to whisper in her ear after they ate. Lucy nodded slowly as his warm breath tickled her neck. “Good,” he said sitting back up in the chair. His hand ran down his chest smoothing the black-tie that hung from his neck.

Wearing a suit was not something he did regularly. He would rather wear jeans with a nice Henley under a jacket. Wearing a suit wasn’t a priority of his. He hated it actually. He hated having to dress up to be shown around like a show dog. The urge to find a place to hide and wait out the whole event was growing every time another person walked up to their table. Each of them offering him their best wishes, he accepted them with a smile, but it just added another burden to the evening.

Tim couldn’t stop himself from wondering if they’d even notice if he was gone. He would take Lucy’s hand and pull her out of the room. They’d disappear into the night and leave this event behind them. He would be okay with that. He would love that actually, but if he ran out Angela would have his head.

A bead of sweat was tailing down the side of the nearly empty whiskey glass in his hand. Angela had already dragged Wesley off to the dance floor. Grey and Luna excused themselves from the table to chat with the other officers they knew. Tim's eyes snapped to Lucy as she pulled the glass of whiskey from his hand. She brought it to her lips and drowned the rest of the liquid quickly before sitting the glass back down.

“I was drinking that,” he said flatly, his voice playful.

“Now you have no excuse not to go dance with me,” Lucy said cheekily with a smile.

Tim stared at her pointedly for a moment before he looked away. “I don’t dance,” he said lifting his hand off the table slightly just to drop it down on the table again. A small pout formed on her lips as she looked at him, her eyes full on puppy dog eyes. Tim looked her way briefly before looking away quickly only to towards her again. “Stop looking at me like that, it’s not going to work,” he said trying to stay behind his own words, but the longer she looked at him like that he was starting to cave.

“Please,” she pleaded softly.

Tim’s eyes rolled at her whine. “No.”

Lucy smiled as she pushed herself up from her chair. She grabbed his hand off the table and started towards the dance floor. Tim stayed seat as she started to walk away from him, his hand in hers. With a huff and a shake of the head, Tim let her pull him out of the chair and to the dance floor. It was the smile on her face when she looked over her shoulder at him and made it all worth it. He would do anything she asked if he could see her smile like that.

When they finally reached their destination, Lucy let go of his hand turning to face him fully. “I can’t believe this,” he uttered just loud enough for both of them to hear.

“Oh, hush. Don’t be a baby,” she teased.

Tim’s brows shot up as Lucy stepped closer to him. “I can go sit down,” he said starting to turn away, but Lucy grabbed his hand before he could and pulled him back to her.

“Oh no, you don’t. You dragged me to this thing, you owe me a dance or two in repayment.”

“Repayment,” he questioned, his hands falling to her waist pulling her nearly flush against him. “I think there is another way that I could repay you properly for being ‘dragged to this thing’,” he said quoting her words. “A way that is more enjoyable for the both of us without there being so many people around.”

“We can save that for later,” she whispered in his ear. “But for now, I want you to dance with me.”

Tim groaned in defeat in her ear as the DJ’s voice came through the speakers. “Alright everyone, we have a special request from one Angela Lopez. So grab your loved one and head to the dance floor. We’re going to slow things down just a bit.”

Both Tim and Lucy looked over at Angela, who was smiling beside Wesley giving them a thumbs up. “You knew she was going to do that didn’t you?”

Lucy shrugged. “Maybe,” she said as the sound of the piano started to waft through the speakers of the room. Lucy wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him down to her. Their lips met slowly, dancing across each other with ease.

Tim broke away first. “You’re unbelievable,” he said with a smile, his blue eyes sparkling as he looked down at her as a blush crept on her cheeks.

_Woke up this morning, light poured in, you’re with me_

Tim slowly swayed them to the words of the song letting them fully wash over them. Lucy’s head rested against his chest and he wondered if she could feel the racing of his heart.

He was not the type to dance at events. With Isabel, she was just as content as he was to stay at the table watching others. He would spend the nights sipping whiskey wanting to escape from the building.

This was different. Lucy was different. In every way, she was different from Isabel. If she hadn’t been in his bar because of a heartbreak, she would not even be here with him right now. If her heart had never been broken, she would have been someone else’s by now. Now, he could not stand the thought of her being with someone else. Not anymore.

He was feeling things he had not felt in such a long time. Years had passed since he felt that thrill of being with someone like he does with Lucy. Was it love? Was he ready to love again? She saved him. He was on a downhill path and Lucy changed that. He was about to give up on trying to get back, but she pushed him when he didn’t think he needed it. He needed her.

There was supposed to be a guard around his heart to keep people out, but Lucy…she found a way around it. She destroyed his barriers and made her place in his heart a permanent residence. How had he let that happen?

She was a hurricane, a whirlwind, that swept into his life. She knocked him off his axis just so he could find himself again, but only as a better person. Lucy helped him in a way that he never imagined someone could.

His fingers tapped her waist causing Lucy to look up at him. He did not give her a chance to speak before his lips met hers. Lucy straightened immediately trying to get as close to him as she could. He relished the way her lips felt against his. So soft and plump against his. If this was how he would die, then he would die happy.

The song came to an end slowly. They didn’t want to separate but they forced themselves apart as a new song started through the speakers.

“You want to get out here,” Tim asked, his voice huskier than normal. Lucy nodded with a swallow unable to trust her voice. Tim smiled at her in response. There was something different in her eyes. Something he had not seen in a while, and he hoped she could see it in his. “Good,” he said softly, taking her hand in his and pulling her through the crowd and towards the door. He felt his phone buzz in his pocket, and he ignored it. He knew it was Angela. She was probably calling to give him shit for running out, but Lucy was his priority right now.

\--

They barely made it through the front door of his house before Tim had Lucy’s back pressed against the front door. Her hands were busily untucking the button down from his dress pants. Tim’s mouth moved from the crevasse of her shoulder up to her neck as a low moan escaped her. “Turn around,” he ordered pulling away from her just enough.

Lucy did as he instructed, and Tim’s hands brushed her hair out of the way before he reattached his lips to her body. His lips followed the trail of the zipper as he slowly unzipped her dress. Lucy pulled her arms out of the dress sleeves letting the red fabric pool at her feet before she turned back to face him. “You’re a little overdressed,” she whispered.

Tim smirked down at her. His hands quickly undid the tie from around his neck tossing it to the floor beside her discarded dress. Lucy’s hands pushed his suit jacket off his shoulders and Tim finished the job by shaking the fabric off his arms before reaching for her again. His hands reached for the back of her neck so he could pull Lucy away from the door.

He walked them backward, kicking the door to the bedroom open before the back of his knees hit the edge of the bed causing the pair to topple over. Laughter escaped them as they landed on the bed. Lucy’s put her hand on his chest to push herself up so she could look down at him.

“I love you.” Lucy’s brows raised in question as she stared down at him. She was unable to mask the surprise from her face as his words washed over her.

The only person besides her parents that told her ‘I love you’ ended up breaking her heart and altering her life course as she knew it. It was what made her go to the bar that night. Heartbreak led to Tim. Maybe he was supposed to be the one to help rebuild her heart and show her what true love was supposed to be. He was the one that she was supposed to find to make everything okay again.

Still, those three coveted words were the three words that everyone wanted to hear at least once in their lives. There had been two people say those words to her. The first said it and meant it for a while, but over time the meaning of the words faded until it meant next to nothing. She walked in to find him in bed with her ex-best friend and the words meant nothing.

This time, it felt different. The way the words came out of his mouth felt different. Lucy could tell he meant it; she just didn’t expect it.

“What,” she asked after a long pause.

She could feel his heart racing under her hand. His eyes alone told her what she needed to know. It was not a mistake. He meant it with every fiber of his being. “I love you,” he repeated keeping his eyes locked on hers.

Lucy grinned down at him as he smiled up at her. Slowly, she lowered herself until her face was inches away from his. “I love you too,” she said before capturing his lips with hers. She meant it too.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think! Comments and kudos are appreciated!! Thanks!
> 
> not beta read. Mistakes are mine.


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